{"id":334,"date":"2014-09-16T10:42:42","date_gmt":"2014-09-16T13:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/?p=334"},"modified":"2014-10-03T22:07:58","modified_gmt":"2014-10-04T01:07:58","slug":"birding-trip-to-vado-kemkemtreu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/archives\/334","title":{"rendered":"Birding trip to Vado Kemkemtreu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click on photos for slide show or scroll down to read commentary.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Ford at Kemkemtreu (aka Quemquemtreu). Fortunately \u2014 the water was low.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Sunday 14 September 2014 I went with my good friend and birding guide Scarlett Eastman to the Vado Kemkemtreu<\/em> (that’s the ford by the Estancia Kemkemtreu<\/em>, high in the Patagonian Steppe in the Argentine Province of Neuqu\u00e9n). The picture above\u00a0will\u00a0give you some idea of the remoteness of the area.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Hare is alert to our presence some 200 metres away.<\/p><\/div>\n

We left San Mart\u00edn de los Andes about 08.30, equipped with food and drink and a full tank for the Chero. It was a gorgeous day, and we made two stops: one at the Estancia Tipiliuke<\/em> and one at the fording place above, At each place we walked around a bit; the birding was good, very good, but the photography a little disappointing: the fault of the photographer, who still has a lot to learn, and not the equipment nor the light.<\/p>\n

Three French sons went off from here to fight in WW1; before\u00a0leaving each erected a cross on top of this peak. Only one returned, and he incorporated the two crosses of his fallen brothers into a memory of them, which you see here (or at least a replica, I\u2019m told). Full story elsewhere in this blog: search \u2018Larminat\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a>

We passed the Larminat cross on Cerro de los Pinos at Tipiliuke (the name means \u2018upside\u00a0down heart\u2019 in Mapuche).<\/p><\/div>\n

Scarlett kept a list of the birds we saw, and where which I shall populate with a few of the pics that did come out. It is arranged not chronologically but in family order – that is the way she did it, and who am I to intervene? \u00a0But it was not just birds we saw: at Tililiuke we were lucky to see a couple of Andean foxes whiling away a lazy Sunday morning, one stretched out like a hedonist on a sunny, stony bank, while the other prowled around sniffing and nibbling sundry offerings.<\/p>\n

\"Andean<\/a>

Andean fox #1 \u2013 the sleepyhead<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Andean<\/a>

Andean fox #2 \u2013 the prowler<\/p><\/div>\n

We also saw a European Hare in the distance – an imported species now long established in Argentina. Neither the hare nor the foxes seemed the slightest bit disturbed by our presence.<\/p>\n

But on with the birds; here\u00a0is the list of what we saw (or in one case, heard). Pictures of some of these below.<\/p>\n

FAMILIA PODICIPEDIDAE
\nMac\u00e1 Grande Huala (Podiceps mayor<\/em>) Eng. Great Grebe.
\nMac\u00e1 Com\u00fan (Rollandia rolland<\/em>) Eng. White-tufted Grebe.<\/p>\n

\"White-tufted<\/a>

White-tufted Grebe at Tipiliuke<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA ARDEIDAE
\nGarza Blanca (Ardea alba<\/em>) Eng. Great Egret.<\/p>\n

FAMILIA THRESKIORNITHIDAE
\nBandurria Austral (Theristicus melanopis<\/em>) Eng. Black-faced Ibis<\/p>\n

\"Black-faced<\/a>

Black-faced Ibis \u2013 one of several we saw at Tipiliuke<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA CATHARTIDAE
\nJote Cabeza Negra (Coragyps atratus<\/em>) Eng. Black Vulture
\nJote Cabeza Colorada (Cathartes aura<\/em>) Eng. Turkey Vulture<\/p>\n

FAMILIA ANATIDAE
\nCauqu\u00e9n Com\u00fan (Chloephaga picta<\/em>) Eng. Upland or Magellan Goose<\/p>\n

\"Upland<\/a>

Upland or Magellan Goose<\/p><\/div>\n

Cauqu\u00e9n Real (Chloephaga poliocephala<\/em>) Eng. Ashy-headed Goose
\nPato Overo (Anas sibilatrix<\/em>) Eng. Chiloe (Southern) Wigeon
\nPato Maicero (Anas ge\u00f3rgica<\/em>) Eng. Yellow-billed (Brown) Pintail<\/p>\n

\"Yellow-billed<\/a>

Yellow-billed (Brown) Pintail<\/p><\/div>\n

Pato Colorado (Anas cyanoptera<\/em>) Eng. Cinnamon Teal
\nPato Barcino (Anas flavirostris<\/em>) Eng. Speckled Teal
\nPato Zambullidor Chico (Oxyura vittata<\/em>) Eng Lake Duck<\/p>\n

FAMILIA ACCIPITRIDAE
\n\u00c1guila Mora (Geranoaetus melanoleucus<\/em>) Eng. Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A pair of Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles (Aguilas Mora)<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA FALCONIDAE
\nHalconcito Colorado (Falco sparverius<\/em>) Eng. American Kestrel<\/p>\n

\"American<\/a>

American kestrels were everywhere \u2013 small but very efficient killing machines<\/p><\/div>\n

Carancho (Caracara plancus) Eng. Southern Caracara
\nChimango (Milvago chimango) Eng. Chimango Caracara<\/p>\n

\"Chimango<\/a>

Chimango Caracara soars over Tipiliuke valley<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA RALLIDAE Gallareta Chica (Fulica leucoptera<\/em>) Eng. White winged coot<\/p>\n

FAMILIA CHARADRIDAE
\nTero Com\u00fan (Vanellus chilensis<\/em>) Eng. Southern Lapwing<\/p>\n

FAMILIA FURNARIDAE
\nJunquero (Phleocryptes melanops<\/em>) Eng. Wren-like Rushbird [escuchado]<\/p>\n

\"Scarlett<\/a>

Scarlett goes to take a closer look<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA COLUMBIDAE
\nTorcaza (Zenaida auriculata<\/em>) Eng. Eared Dove<\/p>\n

FAMILIA TYRANNIDAE
\nSobrepuesto (Lessonia rufa)<\/em> Eng. Rufous-backed Negrito
\nGaucho Grande (Agriornis lividus<\/em>) Eng. Great Shrike-Tyrant
\nDormilona Cara Negra (Muscisaxicola maclovianus<\/em>) Eng. Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant
\nDormilona Fraile (Muscisaxicola flavinucha<\/em>) Eng. Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant
\nPico de Plata (Hymenops perspicillatus<\/em>) Eng. Spectacled Tyrant<\/p>\n

\"Spectacled<\/a>

Spectacled tyrant \u2013 the males were arriving up on the Steppe, but no females yet.<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA HIRUNDINIDAE
\nGolondrina Patag\u00f3nica (Tachycineta leucopyga<\/em>) Eng. Chilean Swallow<\/p>\n

FAMILIA PSITTACIDAE
\nLoro Barranquero (Cyanoliseus patagonus<\/em>) Eng. Burrowing Parakeet<\/p>\n

\"Flocks<\/a>

Flocks of Burrowing Parakeets came and went all through the day<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA MIMIDAE
\nCalandria Mora (Mimus patagonicus<\/em>) Eng. Patagonian Mockingbird<\/p>\n

\"Patagonian<\/a>

Patagonian Mocking Bird \u2013 one of four who hung around for a long time<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA ICTERIDAE
\nTordo Patag\u00f3nico (Curaeus curaeus<\/em>) Eng. Austral Blackbird
\nLoica (Sturnella loyca<\/em>) Eng. Long-tailed Meadowlark<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Long-tailed Meadowlark, with it\u2019s distinctive red breast. Males only for now, females will be along later.<\/p><\/div>\n

FAMILIA FRINGILLIDAE
\nCabecita Negra com\u00fan (Carduelis barbata<\/em>) Eng. Hooded Siskin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click on photos for slide show or scroll down to read commentary. On Sunday 14 September 2014 I went with my good friend and birding guide Scarlett Eastman to the Vado Kemkemtreu (that’s the ford by the Estancia Kemkemtreu, high … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds","category-for-fb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":822,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions\/822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}